Faucet.



PATENTED' SEPT. 10, 1907.

W. S. COOPER.

FAUCET.

APPLIOATION FILED 13m41.190s.

XSYP

INVENTR:

1' for/ze s,

VJQ/LESSES:

UNI-TED STATES ,PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM LSAMUELl coorte, OFPIIILADELPHIA, lPENNSrLvruvIA.

FAUCET'.

l No. 865,568.

Specification of Letters Patent. I

Patented.. Sept. 10, 1907.

Application filed December 4,1905. Serial No. 290,126.

anism for moving the valve, and designedtalso to rendervery simple themaking of adjustments o'rfrepairs and to adapt the faucet to formsneedful in modern plumbing.

Other advantages are referred to in detail hereinafter. The accompanyingdrawings illustrate an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation. is a central ver,

tical section. Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are plans of rings used in packing.Eig. 7 is a section of the valve and connected parts. Fig. 8 is acentral section illustrating a different style of packing. Fig. 9 is acentral section illustrating another style of paeking.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention illustrated, the valve A ismoved toward and from its seat B by means of a crank pin C connectedthereto through a link D, the crank pin C being carried on a transverseshaft E, the outer end of which is shown at E/ in Fig. l, and which isrotated b`y means of an operating handle F on the outside. On turningthe handle F to one position,the valve is lifted from its seat, and onturning the handle to the opposite position the valve is pressed againstits seat, as in the operation of the ordinary Fuller faucet.

The faucet differs from the ordinary type, however, in having the valveclose against the pressure. The Water, for example, moves in thedirection of the arrow in Fig. 2, and the valve moves downward againstit. By this arrangementa sudden closing of the valve at the end of itsmovement and a resulting severe concussion, such as occurs with valvesclosing with the pressure sometimes when they are new and always whenthey have become slightly Worn by use, is avoided. The rate of movementof the eccentric is a minimum at the instant of complete closing, andthe water pressure resists the closing movement and tends to prevent theconcussion referred to. If thereis a slight lost motion in the mechanismfor moving the valve, the sudden increase of water pressure at theclosing instant tends to take up this lost motion and to relieve thesuddenness of closing; whereas when the valve closes with the pressurethe sudden pressure arising at the instant of closing hastens themovement of the yalve and causes a more or less severe concussion. Theval ve is also held rigidly in all its positions by the eccentricmechanism, and bya suitable guide, so that in the open position'therecan be no drumming or rattling of the valve. For this purpose the valveis guided to and from its seat by a special guide provided for thepurpose, and is packed in said guide. Such a rigid movement has beenavoided heretofore, the

valve being loose so as toenable it to ad'just itself per-4 fectly toits seat. I provide'a valve, however, which is hollow and expansible,havingy an opening toward the water, whereby the latter may epter andexpand it, thus providing relief for the pressure'atthe instant ofclosing,

and at the same 'time pressing the valve accurately 'against all partsof its seat so as to insure a tight closure.

The hollow space within the valve provides also an air chamber intowhich the water may flow against an elasl .tic back pressure of air,which further serves to diminish concussion; and this feature of makingthe valve hollow may be used in unyielding valves for this purpose.

A specific construction is shown in section in Fig. 7. The valve A isof'rubber or other yielding composition, with a vconical outer facefitting a correspondingly shaped seat, and a hollow space G in thecenteropening downward toward the water pressure. This valve isfastened, as by a screw H, inthe lower end of a plunger J, which movesin a cylindrical guide K. A ring of packing material L is provided inacircumferential groovevof the plunger J, which holds the plungerrigidlyin all positions and prevents rattling or drumming. At thesame time thepacking L preferably extends beyond the periphery of the metal plunger Jso as to prevent any contact between the metal plunger and its metalguide. The packing is also preferably made substantially water-tight,so'that there is no access of water or grit to the operating mechanismabove the plunger J, and these parts are accordingly saved considerablewear by being cut off from the chamber M through which the water flows.

The elimination of drumming and concussion relieves the entire plumbingsystem of a building of its greatest strain, and the improvementsprovided in these respects are of the greatest value.

,An important feature of the invention is the arrangement bywhich thevalve and its operating means are' together adjustable toward the seatto takeup Wear. In the old style faucet, when the valve or mechanismwears, and it is desired to readjust the valve, it is necessary to turnoff the water, usually in the cellar of the building or outside, break ajoint in the, part of the faucet ordinarily subjected toavater pressure,and adjust the ball or valve on its stern. This adjustment is effectedby guess, after which the parts are replaced and the water again turnedon. If the faucet still leaks the process has to be repeated. -Byadjusting the valve and operating4 mechanism togetheraccording to thisinvention, there is no need of breaking any joint in the pressure partof the faucet. Preferably there are ytwo parts'ofthe casing, onecarrying the valve seat.

and the other carrying the valve, said parts oeing bodily adjustabletoward each other.

In the example shown, the tube K is extended upward and is integral withthe upper chamber N carryl ing the eccentric-operating mechanism andfrom which the shaft E E projects laterally, and this upper portion ofthe casing, which Idesignate as a whole by the letter O, is adjustablein the lower part P which carries the valve seat. Preferably the uppermember O has a screw-threaded connection, as Q, with' the. lower part.For example, screw-threadsof l/32 of an inch pitch may be used, so thatone complete rotation of the upper member O relatively to the lowermember P will bring the valve 1/32 of an inch toward or away from itsseat; thus providing for a very fine adjustment while maintaining theoperating member at the same side of the spout R. This same constructionserves to permit an angular adjustment of the operating handlerelatively to the spout, so that the handle may be located at the rightor left or in front or back as desired. With previous faucets of theFuller type it has been necessary to construct two patterns, oneright-hand and the other left-hand. My improved faucet is universal inthis respect. By merely swiveling the part carrying the `handlerelatively to the part carrying the spout, this particular advantage maybe obtained without the necessity for screw-threading one partrelatively to the other, and such a construction is within my invention.i

It is preferable to provide special means for clamping the two partstogether in the desired position of ad.- justment. For this purpose Imay provide an outside nut which serves at the same time topack thejoint between the parts O and kP of the casing. For example, the nut Smaybe provided, rotating freely on the vertical neck of the upper memberO of the casing, and screwing down upon the neck of the lower member P;and having within it clamping and preferably also packing rings. Suchrings are Ashownin detail in Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6. The ring Tl may be ofbrass or other hard metal split at one or more points and having aconical outer f ace engaged by a conical inner face of the nut S, sothat as the latter is screwed down the ring T is squeezed together aboutthe neck ofthe member O and clamps it firmly. The rings U and V are oflead or other soft packing material, split at one or more points, andtapered on their outer faces so as to be squeezed together to make agood water-tight joint. Between the soft ring U and the hardsplit ring Tthere is preferably interposed a continuous ring W of brass or otherhard metal which serves to prevent the forcing of lead up into the splitof the ring T and so interfering with its clamping movement. The upperedge of the neck of the casing member P, and the lower face of thecomplete ring W are hollowed out to fit the conical faces of the leadrings U and V.

Although the packing arrangement just described has evident advantagesin this particular faucet, yet it is possible tol employ therewithvarious other types of packing, such, for example, as that shown in Fig.8, in which the nut S forces a gland X down against rings Y of anysuitable packing material.

The faucet is adapted to be applied ,to a slab or similar support Z..TheVA base of the casing rests directly on the slab, and the member acarrying the valve seat B passes up through the slab and through thebase of the casing. The valve seat member is provided with a squaredportion b for screwing it in place. The faucet is held in place by meansof a nut c screwing upon the outside of the seat member.

The construction isspecially adapted to the low down form shown, andalso to the numerous known forms of double or mixing faucets. Forexample instead of the lavatory arrangements shown, the faucet maybe'very conveniently arranged for the usual or any suitable piping forkitchen sinks, laundry tubs,

bath4 tubs, and other apparatus. Because of 'the possibility of theuniversal adjustment, the parts may be arranged so as to present theminimum projection into the fixture.

Instead of the double packing shown in Figs. 2 to 6, the outer packingmay consist merely of a single complete lead ring d having conical upperand lower faces engaged by corresponding faces on the inside of the nutS and the upper edge of the portion P of the casing'. I have found bytests that this simple construction packs the casing and holds itrigidly in position.

Though I have described with great particularity certain specificembodiments of the invention, yet it is not to be understood therefromthat the invention is limited to the specific embodiments disclosed.)Various modifications thereof in detail and in the 'arrangement andcombination of the parts may be made'by those skilled in the art withoutdeparture from the invention.

What Iclaim is:-

1. A water faucet having an expansible hollow stop valve with an openingtoward the pressure, and means for moving said valve toward its seat toclose it against it and relieve the pressure at the instant of closingand insure a tight closure.

v 2. A water faucet having an expansihle hollow stop Valve with anopening toward the pressure, and means for moving said valve toward itsseat to close it against the pressure, whereby the water may enter and-expnndit and relieve the pressure at the .instant of closing and'insure a tight closure, a plunger carrying said valve, and a cylinderin which saidy plunger moves, the plunger being packed in said cylinderto hold it rigidly in all positions and thus prevent rattling ordrumming.

3. A water faucet having a stop valve A of expansible material, with acent1-al hollow space G open toward the pressure, und means for movingsaid valve toward its seat to close it against the pressure, a plunger Jcarrying said valve. a cylinder K in which said plunger moves. und apacking,l L between said plunger and cylinder to hold the plungerrigidly in all positions and thus prevent rattling or drumming.

4. A faucet having u vulve, and operating means connected thereto, saidvalveand` operating means being adjustable together toward the valveseat to take up wear. and a packing independent of the adjusting means.

5. A faucet having; a valve, a seat, means for moving the valve towardand from the seat to open and `close the faucet. und a casing in twoparts. one part carrying thcl Valve and the'other the seat, said partsbeing adjustable toward euch other, and a packing operatingindependently of the positions of said parts. i

ipA faucet having a valve. a seat, un eccentric for moving' the valvetoward und from its seat to open and close the valve` a casing in twoparts. O and P, the former v 7. A faucet having a casing in two parts, Oand-P, a valve, an eccentric mechanism for operating the same, and anoperating handletherefor carried by said part O, and a valve seatandspout carried by the part P, one of said parts screwing into theother by means 4of a thread of fine pitch, whereby angular adjustment ofthe operating handlel relatively to the spout maybe effected, and alsoadjustment of thevalve relatively to its seat without separating-saidparts of the casing, and clamping means operable from the outside for`maintaining the adjustment.

8. A faucet having a casingin two parts, vone part carrying the valveand the other the seat, one of said parts having an extension enteringthe other and forming a guide for the valve, said parts being adjustabletoward each other, and a packing for the joint between said parts of thecasing and lying outside 'of said extension.

9. A faucet having a'casng in two parts, O and P, one part carrying thevalve and the other the seat, said parts being adjustable toward eachother, a nut S engaging the part l, :i split tapered ring T within thenut S and adapted to be compressed to engage the part 0 by thescrewing,L

of the nut upon the part P, soft packing between the ring T and the endof the part P, and a complete ring W between the soft packing and thering T.

10. A faucet ha'vng a casing adapted to rest upon a slab or similarsupport, a valve seat member a having a squared portion b and passing upthrough the slab and the base of the casing, and a nut c screwing on themember a and holding the faucet in place. 1

11. A faucet having a casing in two parts, 0 and P, one part carryingthe valve andthe other the seat, s ald parts being threaded one upon theother so as to be adjustable toward each other, a nut S engaging-thepart P, and a ring of packing material within the nut and adapted to becompressed between the nut and the upper edge of the part P. Y

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto. signed my name in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM sAMUEL cooPER.

Witnesses:

J. W. RITTER, WM. MILLS.

